Although patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) aren’t at greater risk for fractures overall, they may be at greater risk of fractures in the spine, results of a recent meta-analysis suggest.

Moreover, fracture risk appears to be higher among IBD patients using steroids, according to a report published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology by Yuga Komaki, MD, of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, University of Chicago, and coauthors.

“Further studies addressing the differential risk among Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are needed, but strict surveillance and prevention of spine fractures are indicated in IBD,” wrote Dr. Komaki and associates.

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The systematic review and meta-analysis by Dr. Komaki and colleagues was based on 10 studies comprising 470,541 patients with IBD for whom the risk of fracture was reported.

“It is of importance to identify the risk of fractures, as it will increase patient morbidity, disability, and mortality,” the authors wrote. “However, it is often overlooked in the management of IBD.”

Results of the analysis by this group of researchers showed that there was no significant difference in fracture risk overall between IBD patients and controls (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-1.62; P = .70).

By contrast, the OR for spine fractures was significantly elevated (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.39-3.50; P less than .0001), while risk of hip, rib, and wrist fractures were not, Dr. Komaki and coauthors said in their report.

True or False. Magnetic anal sphincter devices may be considered for patients with medically refractory moderate FI who have failed or are not candidates for other devices or procedures, such as barrier devices or colostomy, according to a clinical practice update from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).

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